By This Blood We Are Bound
by Dylixia
Summary: Unstoppable forces might control who we are meant to be but our natures won't keep us apart. Stay by my side, never give in or fade away and we will conquer our destinies together./Sasuke x Naruto\
1. Chapter One: Hidden by Shadows

**By This Blood We Are Bound**

**A Naruto Fanfiction.**

**You knew it was coming; it was only a matter of time before I wrote a Vampire!SasuNaru fic. I love vampires and I love SasuNaru- of course I was going to merge the two together.**

**This is a very important story- it's written for my friend (and my Naru's) birthday. I am really, really unsure about how this is, so far. I NEED feedback, seriously. Like oxygen, or water.. or anything. I just **_**really**_** need to know what this is like. Please, I'm begging for some constructive, harsh criticism that I can use to improve this BEFORE February the 8****th****- her birthday. I'm on a time limit, so I'm stressing enough as it is.  
(Review, please, please, please! Or email me at ****.uk**** )  
I will actually do anything for a helpful review! A story request- anythingggggg! Help me, please. **

**Halp meh!  
Thanks,  
Connie. **

**Chapter One.**

Fate is a bitch.

There's no pretending: Fate is a whiny teenage girl who has nothing better to do than mess with other people's lives. She is the type of girl who wants everybody around her to suffer, and she's not even related to destiny. Fate and destiny are two different people; Destiny is a cold, stoic man who knows what needs to be done and why it should be done. He writes down the paths of life and he makes the rules.  
Fate will do anything within her power to corrupt this- in any way possible. She likes to dig her freshly-manicured, claw-like nails into human beings' business, until it's no longer recognisable as what Destiny created it to be.

An example of this could be;  
You have a very important exam one day, and you _have_ to be at school for it. But you miss your bus. Destiny is that you need to take this exam- it's life-changing.  
Fate is the cruel witch who made that bus leave just one minute early, or made you trip over your untied shoelaces as you hurtled down the road towards the retreating form of the bus.

That's probably okay. You miss an exam; you can most likely retake it. Or if you mess up on it because you couldn't sleep the night before- that's all right too. There's a second chance.

There's no second chance in life. There's no 'backspace' button and there's no 'rewind' function. Fate can chew you up and spit you out- and then your whole life is thrown out of whack.

Destiny made me a lucky person. That's what was written out for me by his skilled hand; I've met my soulmate.

Fate made us two different creatures. Don't get the wrong idea- my story doesn't include bestiality of _any_ sort. The only way I can think of to explain it, is; we were beings of different worlds and we were thrown together by some unseen force. We scrambled blindly in the dark and we fought together because of the instincts that tainted our blood.

All along the way, we just couldn't decide… were we fighting against fate, destiny, or ourselves?

There was an incessant, itching need that burned its way throughout my whole body. It started in the pit of my stomach, a bubbling, viscous acid that travelled up my windpipe and assaulted my tongue. It was impossible for me to ignore it, to neutralize it and sate my hunger- but I could dampen it down if I tried hard enough.

They bustled around me; weak, weak teenagers, hugging each other in greeting- oblivious to my concealed strength. I could see it- _feel _it- it was _tangible_ in the air. The metallic tang of the blood that coursed through their veins- it was so tempting. So tempting to just reach out, to grab one of those mindless students as they passed me. I could sink my sharp teeth into their neck and it would all be over for them. My hunger would be sated- temporarily at least.

Lightly, I ran my tongue over my prolonged canines. I was designed to be a hunter; humans were my prey. My teeth were dagger-sharp, blunt nails that could slice open an animal's flesh and acute senses. I was a predator, and my fists clenched and unclenched at my sides as I watched, with dark eyes, the students moving past me in the walkway. Adrenaline washed through me, causing my breaths to quicken. I wanted to pounce- to go in for the kill.  
I jerked forwards, nails ready to rip apart someone's arteries for my feeding pleasure.

A hard shoulder slammed into me from behind, before I could reach my target. I was sent stumbling forwards, reflexes failing me because I was caught off-guard. I was brought back to reality in an instant- it came crashing down on me like an avalanche. I had almost attacked, and some unknowing schoolmate had prevented a disaster.

He looked back at me as he walked away. His dark blue eyes sparkled in the low mid-winter sun, and there was a hint of something that I just couldn't comprehend; knowing. If I wasn't so choked up from what could have potentially been a personal tragedy, I would have _laughed_ at the thought. Perhaps I was so paranoid, that I was actually imagining that everyone around me knew what I was:

A vampire.

It was in my soul- it was who I am. I drink human blood, so I'm no innocent. Though, I am not thoroughly evil. I only drink the blood of those that are dying or dead. There is a friend of my clan; his name is Kakashi Hatake, and he works in a hospital. I get my blood from him- it's the safest way for me and all around me. I'm a danger.

Slowly, I regained my composure. The bell rang out from the main school building, so I dragged myself over to my form room. It was worse when I was inside. Their heartbeats were so loud in my ears and I could feel the thick taste of the blood practically radiating from their fragile little bodies. Everything was so much more concentrated in an enclosed space. I worried my bottom lip between my pointed teeth, fingers drumming rhythmically against the wooden surface of the table I was sitting at.

My face was becoming flushed purely because of the effort it took to keep myself under control. The girl who sat next to me- a typical, demure high school girl with long brown hair- kept shooting me concerned looks. It irritated me vastly, but she meant well, so I bit down harder on my lip so that I wouldn't let a snide comment slip out.

I couldn't talk very well; my vocal cords were too tight. When the teacher called out my name in registration, my reply came out as a strangled cry. This, of course, earned me many a confused look.  
After a vicious glare that held more than a hint of warning in it, all attention that was previously on me was removed instantly. I almost sighed with relief.

The bell rang to signify the beginning of our first lesson. I swung my bag onto my shoulder, zipped up my black hooded jacket and I was out of the room before anyone else was out of their seat. Advanced speed was just one of the many benefits to being a supernatural being. No matter how brilliant the advantages were- I would still trade anything for a human life. I've never been human- I was born this way. Born into the Uchiha clan; the most powerful vampire clan.

In most ways, I am human. I need food and water to survive, I feel, I experience, I breathe and I cry. I have emotions, and I'm not dead. The only way you could differentiate between me and a human being within five minutes of meeting me would be my skin temperature. I do have a pulse, but my heart pumps at a slower rate than a human's. Therefore, my skin is cold. I don't feel like ice, but I constantly feel like someone who has been lying in snow for half an hour or two. I don't need as much oxygen, either- but I do need some.

Blood is necessary for my survival. I am not just one of those kooky human beings who _think _they need blood to survive- it's like a second air for me. I can go up to four days without human blood before I snap, but any longer than that, and I turn into a monster.

There are not many of us left, anymore. There are only two surviving vampire clans; the Uchiha and our cousins, the Hyuugas. Generations of breeding of the two has left us with dwindling numbers. That's not to say that there are not many lone-travelling vampires around- because there are. Only around four hundred spread across Europe, and perhaps two hundred in America, but still enough to exist as a danger. Vampire hunters are our biggest threat. They always have been; for centuries.

You may think that vampires are everything you thought them out to be- but you're wrong. We're so much more and yet so much less. There is no way to explain it.

He was there; in my mathematics class. Everyone was staring at him- he was new, but he just kept his dazzling eyes trained on me. I recognized him- I never forget a face. He was the kid who banged into me earlier that morning, when I was about to strike. There was a slight crease in between his eyebrows as a small frown marred his features. My heart skipped a beat- why was he staring at me? Something about the knowledgeable look in his eyes unnerved me.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki." Mr. Umino lightly clasped the new student's shoulder, smiling warmly. "Play nice. Take a seat, Naruto."

Naruto nodded, and he walked straight past me. I heard the scraping of chair legs against the linoleum floor as he sat down at the table behind me. I instinctively stiffened. I always tried to sit at the back of the class, because I didn't like having a blind spot. Unfortunately, I had been moved forward one desk by the teacher, who wanted me to be able to 'hear better.' Which was ironic in itself, considering my hearing reached a much larger range than any human being's.

As if his irises were pools of sapphire fire, I could feel his fixed gaze burning into my back. Straightening up in my chair, I forced myself to pay attention to what Mr. Umino was saying. It was boring; 3D Pythagoras.

The rest of the lesson continued in exactly the same way. I was extremely conscious of his presence behind me, and when he stood up to retrieve something from the front of the class, I watched him. When he turned around, those unsettlingly intense eyes were boring into mine.

*

Lunchtime was similar; I travelled around in a daze, mind whirring as I tried to figure out his intentions. Maybe he didn't even _have_ any intentions- but there was something different about Naruto Uzumaki, and I didn't like it one bit. It angered me that I couldn't read him. I wanted to know what he thought- or what he thought he knew. I had never felt that need before. I had previously thought it was impossible to be as irritated by him as I was.

I was standing in the lunch line, tapping my foot impatiently as I waited for the excruciatingly slow queue to shorten. A shiver ran down my spine when my roaming eyes passed over the pot of thick, red tomato soup that was being ladled out by the dinner ladies. I licked my lips, tasting the tang of the soup in the air, but my confused senses falsely identified it as something else. I hadn't fed for four days- I was due to again, tonight. I was getting a fever, my skin was itchy and my mouth tasted like bile. It was disgusting.

I brought a shaking hand up to grasp my throat, desperately trying to will the burning pain away. Feeling concerned eyes on me, I raised my gaze to find Naruto Uzumaki staring at me- again. Then, he was looking at the soup I had previously been distracted by. When his eyes came back to mine again, they were wide, shocked. My own eyes mirrored his.

"How?" I choked out, and pushed myself out of the queue.

I ran away as fast as I could. I didn't stop at the school gates- I sprinted home and locked myself in. I didn't like people looking at me like that.

Night was falling, the darkness swallowing up everything in sight.  
The temperature of the air outside had dropped considerably, and I hadn't bothered to adjust the heating in my house, so I was freezing.

Curled up on my living room floor, I was shaking. Sweat covered me in a thin film, cold and damp. Kakashi had not arrived yet, and I needed blood. My irises were turning red- like blood melting into the onyx depths. We called it Sharingan. Young vampires develop it at an early age- and it activates automatically when you enter the first phase of pure Vampirism. That is when you change, you transform into something uncontrollable. Your conscience disappears and you become a monster. When you get to stage three- they kill you- member of your clan, anyone. They will hunt you, and they will burn you alive because it is the only way they can stop you. I've been through to stage two, once.  
It was horrible. I wanted to die, myself and I almost killed Kakashi. That is why I will never let myself go through that ever again.

My front door was slammed open, and then Kakashi was by my side. His knuckles were white because he was clutching the glass bottle so tightly. He unclenched my fists and pushed the bottle of fresh blood into them.

"Fuck, you look like shit, Sasuke." I used my sharp teeth to bite the neck of the glass bottle off.

The shards of glass cut open my lips, tongue and chin, but I ignored the minute pain, knowing that they would help the human blood enter my bloodstream more quickly. Spitting the glass to the floor, I swallowed the blood hungrily. I felt it slide down my throat and into my stomach, where it bubbled upon contact with my vampiric stomach acid. Instantly, I craved more. Luckily, Kakashi had another bottle. He handed it to me, and this time, I used my hands to uncork the bottle.

He was watching me, his grey eyes wide with concern.

"That was close." He breathed, crossing his legs and relaxing a little.

I swallowed the last few sips of the tangy, metallic blood. Wiping my mouth on the back of my sleeve, I put the empty bottle on the floor, its inside coated with the residue of the blood. "I know. Where were you?" I inquired, collapsing onto my back on the cold wooden floor.

I was still sweating, but the blood was already making a difference to my incapacitated state. It was being absorbed into my own bloodstream, and my body was finding renewed strength. Soon, I would be back to full power. It felt good.

"I got held up at work. The ice on the roads has caused so many accidents- Accident and Emergency was chockablock." Kakashi explained. "I'm sorry." He added.

I nodded, getting to my feet and picking up the empty blood bottles on my way to the kitchen. I put them by the sink- they had to be recycled. Leaning against the counter, I turned to face Kakashi, who had followed me in. He ran a hand through his silver hair.

"There's a new kid in town." He stated, and I simply shrugged in reply. Our 'town' was just a small village. "Lives on your street- alone."

"Am I supposed to care?" I drawled, absently noting that I needed to buy some more groceries tomorrow, because I was running out of bread.

"I don't know. He's an Uzumaki. There's something familiar about the name, but I just can't place my finger on it." Kakashi replied, frowning.

"Oh, well. We can handle it, whoever the hell he is. He's damn annoying though." I snapped, the conversation dredging up the feelings of irritation that I felt towards the blond.

"Hah, he's in your class?" There was a smirk that tugged at the corner of Kakashi's lips. I scowled at him for enjoying my annoyance.

"Yes, unfortunately." I turned to the electric kettle that sat on my white kitchen counter. "Do you want a drink?" I offered, supposing I should be polite. It was a wasted effort; Kakashi knew I wasn't very well-mannered.

"No, thanks. I should really be going. I have a date," He smiled, eyes lighting up. "With-"

"Like I care, Kakashi." I cut him off, not interested in his love life, in the slightest.

"Oh, but I think you do!" My friend's eyes were laughing as he replied. My curiosity spiked a little.

"Who's your poor, unsuspecting victim this time?"

"Iruka Umino." He sang, leaning forward to poke my shoulder.

"Oh, God. My _Maths_ teacher? That is just wrong. In fact, it's wrong that you find amusement in the fact that this bothers me!" I groaned, walking to my front door, Kakashi in tow.

"Heh, I knew you'd be happy for me. I'll see you later, jackass. Perhaps I'll phone you later to tell you _all_ about my wonderful date with Iruka's fine ass!" He chuckled, stepping out into the streets.

"I'm unplugging my phone then!" I called after him.

The icy winter winds carried his voice back to me, "You have a mobile phone!"

"I can turn it off!"

"As _if_, techno-phobe!"

I shut my door, the tiny smile that graced my lips dropping almost instantly. There was a warm feeling of friendship that settled in my stomach whenever I laughed with Kakashi. When he left, it disappeared so quickly that I actually doubted it was ever there in the first place. The house was dark, cold and it smelt like blood. I shivered, not wanting the bloodlust to fire up again. Stumbling into my living room, I collapsed on the couch. My eyes slipped closed and I fell into a deep sleep, losing to the dark world of my subconscious and its torturous dreams of eloquent blue eyes.


	2. Chapter Two: Keep Me Grounded

I didn't like him. Not _one_ bit. Whenever I phased out- struggling with a strong craving- he was always watching. The day after the canteen incident, I was getting my books from my locker, when he was suddenly beside me. I threw a glare in his direction, before turning back to my black satchel bag.  
He just continued to stare, a hint of amusement in his eyes. When he didn't initiate conversation, I grit my teeth and turned to him, hand clenching the locker door firmly.

"Yes?" I spat, narrowing my eyes dangerously.

He was unfazed. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki." He held his hand out to me, silently asking me to shake it.

"I know." I didn't shake his hand, and I didn't offer my own name.

"You're Sasuke Uchiha." He stated, matter-of-factly.

I rolled my eyes, irritation being taken up a notch. "I _know_." Sighing, I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between a forefinger and thumb. I could feel a migraine coming on. "Anything else?"

Naruto paused, and he seemed to be running a list of scenarios through his mind. Internally, he was battling with himself. I raised a dark eyebrow- my patience running short. When he blue eyes swivelled back to mine, he regarded me calmly.

"I'm seventeen years old, my parents are dead," I searched his face, warily. Why was he telling me this personal information? "And I know what you are."

My heart stopped beating. Then, he was gone. Shock held me so tightly in its icy grip, that I didn't even see Naruto leave. My eyes were wide, and my blood was boiling. I was angry at his assumptions; even more so that he could know the truth. I bared my sharp fang-like teeth in a vicious snarl. Slamming my locker door shut, with a clang that echoed multiple times in the empty corridor, I stormed off to my next lesson.

**

After a few weeks, our small encounter was forgotten- by me, at least. I figured he was just some prick who was trying to mess me up in return for all the dirty looks I sent him, seemingly unjustified.  
I found myself hyper-aware of his presence at all times. I could feel him nearby, and that knowledge was almost frightening. A part of me was curious, drawn to him. I wasn't used to such a feeling, because it had never happened to me before.

Snow was falling in a steady stream, the elegant flakes twisting and twirling in the air as they were gently carried by the winds, to the already covered ground. I didn't feel the cold, but the large snowflakes were blurring my vision and clinging to my long eyelashes. They caressed my cheeks with their icy fingers, and buried themselves in the raven tresses of my hair. Night had fallen- the snowflakes looking almost surreal against the pitch-black sky.  
My street was empty, save for the lone figure walking only a few feet behind me. His footsteps echoed loudly, the familiar noise standing out, even amidst the howling gale that was the winter wind. I tried as hard as I could to ignore him, but as always; his presence was overwhelming.

I reached my house, and my fingers- numbed with cold- fumbled for my keys in my coat pocket. I was standing on the sidewalk outside, blindly trying to find the right key. My heart leapt up into my throat when the sound of footsteps stopped, and warm breath ghosted over my flushed cheeks.

"You don't have to worry about it; I won't tell." A teasing voice informed me.

I raised my eyes to meet Naruto's. He was smiling at me, a hint of sadness in his expression. Running a tanned hand through wild blonde spikes, he waited for an answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about." My voice was stiff as I pushed my key into the lock, and twisted it with a sharp flick of my wrist.

Pushing my door open, I entered my house, blatantly ignoring my 'company'.

He followed me in.

His speed was inhuman- unless my eyes were playing tricks on me. I had only opened my door the minimum amount, to ensure that I could slip inside and prevent his entry. Despite there only being a maximum of six seconds in between the open and closed state of my door, Naruto had somehow zoomed through, and stood in my hallway, snowflakes flecked into his long, spiky blonde hair.

"How the _hell_ did you do that?" I snarled, eyes wide as I surveyed the expression on his face; his lips were pulled back in a smile, his abnormally prolonged canines glinting in the dim light of my hallway.

"You can do it too, right?" He winked at me, and immediately, my attention was drawn to his eyes. Deep within the cerulean irises, trickled a stream of scarlet. Like blood seeping into a dark pool of water, it slowly flooded his eyes.

I blinked, mouth agape as I silently watched the boy before me. His hand came up to clutch at his head, and his eyes squeezed shut tightly, as if he were in pain. When he turned back to me, his irises were still blood red, but his pupils had turned into thin slits, like cats' eyes. He wore a pained look, desperation evident in his expression.

"What are you?" I was struggling to keep my voice steady. I was intrigued- perhaps a little scared, but mostly just wary of this unexplained change that was occurring before my eyes- in a boy I had known for little under a month.

He was starting to sweat, the small droplets trickling down his temple, instantly being wiped away by the back of his hand. Stumbling backwards, as if a wave of exhaustion or agony washed over him, he braced himself against the robin's egg-blue walls.  
Breath coming in short, shallow pants, he peered up at me through sweat-dampened bangs. I was starting to get worried- I knew First Aid, but wasn't sure if I could execute it. Especially if I didn't even know what was happening to him!

"I need…" He trailed off, body being racketed by what appeared to be ripples of pain. He cried out, and I winced, feeling the pain in the sound. "… Someone to- to keep me locked up."

"Go to a jail then, or a mental asylum, idiot." I snorted, figuring- now- that this was all some joke.

"You don't," He gulped audibly, dropping into a crouch and cowering into the corner. "You don't understand."

"Obviously." I replied, dryly. I took a hesitant step towards him, hand outstretched, gingerly. I was still worried- he looked like he was in agony.

"You're a fucking _vampire_, Sasuke! Can't you see? Can't you see what I _am?_" He screeched, voice scratchy and pained.

He wrenched his hands away from his eyes, pushing himself up and to his feet. Before me, he stood, and I watched as the blonde spikes of his hair became crazier, longer and jagged. Whisker-like scars- three on either cheek, deepened considerably, becoming darker against his skin; whereas before, they had barely been noticeable, like paper-thin slits. His hands were on my shoulders, his now long and claw-like nails digging into my skin through the black material of my hooded sweatshirt. I didn't wince- the pain was miniscule, even though I could feel his razor-sharp claws breaking my skin.

"Look outside your window, Sasuke." His voice was low, commanding, but not much more than a whisper.

Reluctant to turn my eyes away from him, I glanced behind me at the wide window in my kitchen.  
Hanging in the inky black sky, like a jewel, was the brightest and fullest moon I had ever seen. Disbelief clouding my mind, I turned back to Naruto.

"_Werewolf_?"

"Close enough." Naruto's extra-sharp teeth were revealed to me as he flashed a quick smile. Shaking hands pulled up the bottom of his grey t-shirt. Toned, tanned abs were exposed, as well as a detailed and intricate tattoo. A black ink spiral circled his navel, surrounded by Japanese kanji. Further down, on Naruto's hipbone, was a tiny image of a fox that had nine, mighty tails, fanned out around the fox's back.

"Were-_fox_?" I narrowed my eyes. "Bullshit." I scoffed, pressing the back of my hand to Naruto's forehead. He felt like he was on fire. "You're delusional."

He scowled at me, knocking my hand away with some force.

"No, you are. My family are dead and I have no friends here- unless you want _your_ fucking friends to die in some unexplained bloody massacre tonight- I suggest you keep a fucking good eye on me!"  
Trembling with rage, he fixed me with a steady stare.

"Why should I?" I hissed, hoping he was catching a nice view of my pointed vampire fangs. His eyes glanced to my mouth at the movement, and then back up to my eyes.

"Because there's no-one else who could take it like you can."

He was quivering with pain, and he shoved past me and stormed into my living room. Exhaling and forcing my frazzled nerves to calm, I followed him. He was curled up on my black sofa, his head in his hands, which were close to ripping his hair out of its roots.

"You're going to phase," I stated, slowly coming towards him. He managed a nod. "How soon?"

He screamed, twitching and jerking in such a haphazard manner that he fell onto the floor. His heavy breaths filled the room, rivalling my pounding heart in volume.

"Now!" Naruto's answer had started as a pained murmur, but turned into a vicious snarl.

My eyes widened when he started to emit orange light- it was like a halo surrounding his whole body. There was a hissing noise as the radiance turned out to be an acidic liquid, viscous and bubbling. Bubbles separated from the mixture and floated about him. His grey t-shirt was being ripped away with the ferocity of the fluid, and it was carried by the bubbles in tattered strands. On my carpeted living room floor, he lay perfectly still. His spasms had stopped, but his pants were shallower. Behind him, an orange tail, built up of the liquid-like substance that surrounded him, flicked out. It looked powerful and strong- like that of a fox.

When he raised his head from the floor, heart-racketing minutes later, he had three tails billowing behind him.

"Shit." I breathed, and the sound brought his red eyes up to lock onto mine.

With one, swift little push, he was on his feet. In a crouch, he narrowed his eyes at me. He lunged. My vampire instincts came to life, and I miraculously dodged the outstretched clawed hand that he swiped at me with. I could feel his power, pulsating around him. One hit, and things could get so much worse.

I practically danced away from him, with each of his attacks. I could see the stump of a fourth tail emerging, and I knew I had to do something. If he got to nine tails, I was sure the transformation would be complete- like when I phase into full vampirism.

I charged forwards, hands shoving against his chest as I used my weight to push him to the ground. My skin burned as if it had come into contact with fire, but I ignored the sting. Straddling Naruto's waist, I took both his thrashing wrists into one hand, and pinned them above his head. His mouth was wide open, eyes squeezed shut, but concealed by the orange vapour anyways. Harsh, angry sounds escaped from his lips. Using all my weight, I kept him pinned to the floor. Gradually, his whipping tails slowed to a halt, the third one receding very slowly.

It was hard to keep my breathing under control; my mind was spinning. Blood-red orbs were revealed to me as Naruto's lids slid open. A touch of danger flashed in his eyes, and I mechanically bared my teeth at him. A low hiss escaping my lips, I tightened my hold on his wrists.

I could feel my skin blistering beneath the overwhelming heat that surrounded him. The bubbles had stopped, and the tails were retreating more quickly. Together, we had been in that position for an hour and forty-five minutes. My joints were screaming and my bladder was currently conjuring up ideas on how to kill me for the torture I was putting it through.

It was a quarter past twelve in the morning, and I was so tired. Still, I refused to loosen my grip on Naruto's wrists. Of course, he wasn't struggling anymore, and he was no longer glowing orange- but his face was flushed red and he was hyperventilating, eyes still red.

I had been watching him intently, and when the scars on his cheeks reduced until they were the thin lines that they normally were, and his claws receded back into average length nails- I wrote it off as a trick of my tired eyes. Then, he went slack in my grip and his eyes opened. He was blushing as he addressed me.

"You can let go of me now. It's over."

Finally, his words sank in, and I released him. Leaning back on my haunches, I moved down a few inches so that I was straddling his hips instead. My body graciously thanked me multiple times for finally moving a little. He sat up, suddenly, and I almost fell backwards as he did so. My hands shot out to cling to his shoulders, and I glared at him. He simply smirked in response.

"Thanks, Sasuke. I needed you." The smirk developed further into a full blown grin. I was caught off guard, so I merely nodded.

"It's… okay. Does that happen every full moon? Don't you have any control over it?" The questions left my mouth before I could think them over.

"Yes, it does- and I would never go through that if I had a choice in it. There always has to be someone who can keep me grounded during the process. The quicker it's controlled, the less likely I am to phase completely." He was gesticulating wildly throughout his explanation, and I was silent as I watched the random movements. "It's similar to the phasing you go through when you haven't fed in a while." He frowned, hot hands coming up to cup my face gently. "Speaking of which; you look really pale."

I jerked my head backwards and out of his touch. I was starting to blush, and I'd be damned if I did that in front of Naruto. The concern that shimmered so boldly in his now-blue eyes was not helping me, either.

"I'm always pale, idiot." I dismissed the comment, touching my face with the back of my own hand. I was burning up. _Shit_.

"Paler than _usual_, I meant. When was the last time you drank blood?" He asked, voice laced with alarm as he took in my distressed appearance.

"Three days ago. I should be fine for another day." I paused, gnawing gently at my bottom lip as I reconsidered my answer. "Although, when my body undergoes physical strain for long amounts of time, I need to feed more frequently."

Naruto's expression darkened.

"Then helping me has quickened the process. You need to drink." He held his wrist up to my lips.

I turned my head away- when his flesh was so close, the smell of the blood was easier to detect.

"I'm not feeding from you." I tried to keep my voice firm, but the scent was intoxicating.

"You have to. I don't have the strength right now to deal with you if you start phasing. Besides, I want to repay you for what you did for me tonight."

I didn't move, and he insistently pressed his arm against my lips. I opened my mouth in a snarl, scrambling backwards to get off of his body. A strong hand suddenly wrapped itself around my forearm to keep me in place. Naruto had his wrist against his own lips, and his teeth were bared.

"Don't…" I warned him, but he ignored me.

I watched as his sharp teeth sank into his wrist, and he pulled away, tiny droplets of blood spilling out when the punctured holes were unblocked. The delicious scent of the blood was welcomed by my vampire senses. It seeped in through my nose and mouth, tugging the vampiric instincts up to the surface. He held the bleeding wound up to me again, and this time- I couldn't resist.

Wrapping my mouth around the two puncture holes created by his prolonged, razor-sharp canines, I sucked contentedly. The blood flowed into my mouth in a steady stream; warm, thick and familiar. It tasted so different to normal, bottled blood- and it wasn't just because of the temperature. There was a slightly acidic tang to Naruto's blood- almost comparable to citric acid, but not quite. I decided it was the demon fox part of him, mixed into his body. It was an odd taste, but it was so _good_. I found myself feeling that I could really get addicted to the flavour.

My nails were digging into the skin of his arm as I sucked harder. I was losing to the vampire side of myself, drinking too much blood, too quickly. Long fingers tangled themselves into my hair, and gave a sharp twist, before my head was yanked back. I growled at the abrupt interference, but when Naruto returned the gesture, releasing the spikes of my hair, I silenced myself.

"I told you; I'm tired. Don't drain me completely!" He lapped softly at the miniature wounds, similar to the way that a fox would.

I licked my lips, savouring the remnants of the blood that lingered there.

"Thank you, Naruto." I stood up, detaching myself from Naruto's body and holding my hand out to him. He took it, and I hauled him to his feet.

He smiled- and it was so heartfelt and genuine that I melted a little inside. Bringing his hand up to the back of his neck, he massaged the skin there with his fingertips- an obvious nervous gesture.

"It actually felt kinda good." He shrugged, the lightest blush spread across his cheeks.

"That's just when I do it." I smirked, heading into the kitchen.

Naruto followed, chuckling. "Cocky bastard."

"That's me." I confirmed, opening a cupboard and pulling out a box of plasters.

I took one out, and pulled the paper backs off. "Come here," I commanded, and Naruto held his wrist out to me- the blood clotted and bleeding stopped. With nimble fingers, I placed the plaster over the wound, smoothing out the creases so that it stuck firmly to the tanned skin.

"So, now that you've phased once… will it happen again tonight?" I inquired, scratching my chin absently.

"It's happened that way once before, but I don't think it will. I'll be fine for tonight." Naruto assured me, fingers playing with the tattered remains of his t-shirt.

"Just to be sure- why don't…" I lost my nerves, trailing off. Pulling myself together underneath Naruto's intense gaze, I finished my sentence, "Why don't you stay here tonight. I don't want you to phase and have something horrible go wrong for you."

_Man, what was I __**doing**__?_

Naruto brightened visibly. "Sure- if that's okay with you?"

"Of course- I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want you to." I gave him a small smile, tilting my head towards the door in an invitation. "We should get to sleep, now. It's late."

Naruto nodded and followed me up the stairs. I didn't know why I was so comfortable in his presence, suddenly. I hadn't felt this way with someone in a long time. Perhaps it was because, with Naruto, he knew what I was; so I didn't have to pretend when I was around him. Or maybe it stretched deeper than that… I frowned at the thought, cheeks threatening to redden. I pushed open my bedroom door, holding it open for Naruto before closing it after him.

Although the situation was entirely innocent; I just prayed that Naruto, with his superhuman hearing and sense of smell, couldn't hear the frantic pounding of my heart against my rib cage.

**Chapter two: complete!  
I have no idea how long this is going to go on for- as long as it takes, I guess.  
Erm.. kind of worried. Story has had 75 hits and only 2 faves, 2 alerts, and one review. O___O  
What don't you **_**like**_**? Seriously, I'm begging you. If you don't like this story- can you tell me what's up with it- even if you just think the plot is boring, or the pace is wrong, or you just want smut, smut, smut?! It is so important to me to make **_**this**_** story the best I can make it- so pleaseeee; review.**


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